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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · bay · object · bulb · cold · kid · season · firm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. object — a thing
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. firm — a company
  5. object — to protest
  6. kid — child
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — decided
  16. kid — to tease
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. object — an aim
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com